Slip lasted shoe the parts of which are united by a single locally reinforced seam



'Sept .30,1958 E QUINN 2,853,807

SLIP LASTED SHOE THE': PARTS OF WHICH ARE UNITED BY A SINGLE LOCALLYREINFORCED SEAM Original Filed July 29. 1954 .6706]? for Edward QuinnUnited States 7 2,853,807 Patented Sept. 30, 1958 SLIP LASTED SHOE THEPARTS OF WHICH ARE UNITED BY A SINGLE LOCALLY REINFORCED SEAM EdwardQuinn, Saugus, Mass., assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation,Flemington, N. 3., a corporation of New Jersey Original application July29, 1954, Serial No. 446,619. Divided and this application August 6,1956, Serial No. 602,158

1 Claim. (Cl. 36-195) United States Letters Patent Serial No. 446,619,filed July 29, 1954, now Patent No. 2,807,224, granted September 24,1957, of which this application is a division. In addition to the shoeconstruction, the parent application discloses a novel sewing machineparticularly suitable for operating on slip-lasted shoes and a method ofreinforcing seams of such shoes in areas subject to special stress. Themethod of the parent'application is the basis of a divisionalapplication Serial No. 594,244, filed June 27, 1956. x

Since the size,-fit and durability of a slip-lasted shoe are determinedentirely by the shape of the upper and sole blanks and the accuracy ofthe seam outline which connects them together, the desirability ofreinforcing the seam'to prevent loosening or thread breakage in areas ofspecial stress will be, immediately apparent. However,slip-lasted-construction is employed generally inlowerpriced shoes inwhich the cost of an extra seam reinforcing operation, performed afterthe insertion of the main seam, may be prohibitive. conventionally,slip-lasted shoes are machine sewn by a two-seam method. This methodcomprises first sewing together the sock lining which is an unchanneledblank in the form of a shoe sole and generally of relatively thin, wovenmaterial, and the upper blank by a first seam. The upper is manipulatedby hand just ahead of the point of needle operation to bring the edgesof the two parts into register, thus giving the upper the configurationof a shoe without using a last. The first seam is'directed' in closeparallel relation with the edge of the sole and upper blanks.Thereafter, the platform cover strip which is generally of variablewidth is attached by a second seam which is usually not coincident withthe first. A common practice is to insert the second seam parallel toand inside the first. Accordingly, any stress during wear is almostentirely on the' second-seam which also'determines the size and fit ofthe finished shoe.

A shoe having a single seam which connects the sock lining, upper blank,and platform cover is generally sewn on a machine particularly arrangedfor the purpose. Such a machine is disclosed in United States LettersPatent No. 2,722,182, granted November 1, 1955, upon an applicationfiled in the names of Edward Quinn and Napoleon S. Ferland. In such amachine the sole and upper blanks are guided manually by the operator inmuch the same manner as is employed when inserting the first seam of atwo-seam construction, but the machine is provided with a guide forautomatically directing the platform cover strip into the sewing pointin suitable edge register with the other parts to permit attachment bythe single seam.

After the shoe parts have been sewn together, either by two scams or bya single scam, the shoe is applied to a last, and a platform sole isspotted on the lining. The cover is then wrapped around the edge of theplatform sole, and the outsole is thereafter attached to the platform bya conventional means such as cement. When the platform sole includes awedge-type heel it may be advantageous to employ a two-piece cover stripincluding a relatively narrow forepart piece and a wider heel piece.Itis customary to overlap the end portions of the two cover strip parts.When the cover strip is later wrapped about the platform, particularstress is placed on the stitches in the overlapped area. Other portionsof the seam about the toe or heel may also be subject to special stressduring wear of theshoe. Since the stitches are generally inserted with asmall gage needle using relatively fine thread, the advantagesofreinforcing the scam in such areas of special stress will be readilyapparent.

It is a general object of my invention to improve the construction anddurability of slip-lasted shoes. Another object is to providereinforcement of the size-determining seam of a slip-lasted shoe in anarea subject to special stress. Still another object is to provide thedesired reinforcement in such a shoe without adding a separate operationor significantly increasingits cost of manufacture.

In the achievement of the foregoing objects an important feature of myinvention resides in a shoe construction having reinforcing stitchesinserted with a continuous thread. This feature'not only provides a shoehaving a stronger seam, but also simplifies the sewing operation.Another feature of my invention, which may substantially improve theover-all strength and durability of a slip-lasted shoe, consists in theuse therein of a triplestitched reinforced portion of scam, the stitchesof which are coincident. This feature is particularly important in shoesof certain materials which are sewn with short stitches. By making thereinforcing stitches coincident with those of the main scam the shoeparts are not objectionably perforated and weakened along the reinforcedportions of the seam.

The foregoing and additional objects, features, and advantages of myinvention will be more apparent from the following detailed descriptionof an illustrative embodiment thereof, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view of pertinent parts of a slip-lasted shoeemploying a connecting seam which is reinforced at points of specialstress in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic representation of-one of the reinforcedsections of the seam of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a detail view in side elevation taken from the left of amachine, on which the shoe of the present invention may conveniently besewn.

Referring to Fig. l of the drawing, the parts of the shoe shown thereininclude an upper blank 2, a sole or sock lining blank 4, and a two-piececover strip, the heel piece of which is indicated at 6, andthe forepartpiece at 8. The upper, sock lining, and cover strip are connected by asingle main seam 10. Reinforcing stitches in the seam are indicated at12 in an area in which the forepart piece 8 and the heel piece 6overlap.

In sewing a slip-lasted shoe constructed with a single seam connectingthe upper, sock lining, and cover strip it is common practice to attachone cover strip piece, as for instance, the forepart piece 8, whilesewing the toe portion of a shoe, and then while entering the shank ofthe shoe to introduce-the heel strip piece 6 to the sewing point in themachine. The sewing operation is then continued around the shoe untilthe last attached cover piece is brought into overlapping relationshipwith the cover piece first attached to the shoe. After the shoe has beensewn it is applied to a last, and-the platform sole is spotted on thesock lining. The cover pieces are wrapped around the edge of theplatform sole to give the shoe an accurate configuration. Afterthe coverpieces have been wrapped about the edge of'theplatform sole thosestitches of the connecting seam at the joints between the two coverpieces are subjected to greater stress than the remaining stitches. Forthis reason it is desirable to reinforce the seam connecting theoverlapping end edges of the cover pieces or elsewhere in the shoeconstruction by inserting coincident reinforcing stitches.

The manner in which the reinforcing stitches are inserted according tothis invention enables them to be formed without break in the thread. InFig. 2, which shows diagrammatically a reinforced portion of the seam,the upper line of stitches represents the continuation of the main seaminserted while feeding the work in the direction of the arrows fromright to left before reinforcement is effected. At the completion of thelast stitch of the main seam 10 at the right of the upper line thedirection of feed is reversed, as indicated by the other arrows, forinserting the additional reinforcing stitches 12 shown in the secondline. After the stitch at the left end of the second line is completed,feeding is resumed in the original direction to provide additionalreinforcing stitches -12 of the third line, and the seam is continuedout of the reinforced portion. It will be understood that the threeportions of the seam comprising stitches inserted as a continuation ofthe main seam, as a reversal, and as a resumption, although shown forclarity in spaced relation, are coincident, and the two additionaloverlapping portions 12 have holes in common with those of the mainseam, through which common holes the thread of the three portions of theseam enters the shoe parts, as represented by vertical lines 14.Coincidence of the stitches is conveniently obtained by a novel feedcontrol device in the machine of prior application Serial No. 446,619.

The machine referred to above, shown fragmentarily in Fig. 3, is of thelock stitch type and includes conventional stitch-forming and feedingdevices. Briefly, these devices include a fixed work support 16, aneyepointed needle 18, a work-feeding presser foot 20, and awork-clamping presser foot 22. A feed dog 23 cooperates with thework-feeding presser foot to feed the shoe parts which are retainedduring part of the sewing cycle by the work-clamping presser foot 22against the support 16.

To enable the overlapping reinforcing stitches 12 to be inserted mostconveniently with the best results, the machine of Fig. 3 is equippedwith a feed mechanism arranged to be operated selectively to cause theshoe parts to be fed in a forward or reverse direction. By reason of themanner in which the reinforcing stitches are inserted it is unnecessaryto remove the shoe from the machine or to trim any threads between themain and reinforcing portions of the seam. Thus, the sewing operationmay be resumed directlyafter inserting the reinforcing stitches withoutloss of time, and the edges of the shoe parts are united by a singlecontinuous seam with three coincident portions, each reinforcing portioncrossing the edges of the parts sewn.

p The cover strip pieces 6 and... 8 are, advantageously directed by acover strip pilot mounted in advance of the sewing point on the machine.The cover strip pilot corresponds to that disclosed in Patent No.2,722,182 and includes a bracket 24 secured to the support 15, a pilotroll 26 rotatable on an axis 28 afiixed on the bracket 24, and a roll 30rotatably supported on a spring-pressed carrier 32. By spring pressurethe carrier 32 bings the roll 30 into clamping engagement with theplatform cover and presses the latter against the periphery of the pilotroll 26 The bracket 32 is pivoted through control means more fullydescribed in application Serial No. 466,619 for engaging and releasingthe platform cover strip. In the release position as shown in Fig. 3 ofthe present drawings the feeding direction of the machine may bereversed, that is, feeding may be from left to right without crumplingthe cover strip. When the roll 30 is permitted to engage the platformcover strip the two rolls which rotate about axes obliquely oriented orinclined at an angle with respect to the direction of feed automaticallydirect the strip into line with the sewing point. Thus, the machine ofprior application, Serial No. 446,619 is particularly suitable forsewing the parts of a slip-lasted shoe with a single seam reinforced inareas of special stress.

Since the shoe of the invention may be sewn on ma, chines other thanthat above described, it is not intended that the above description beconstrued as a limitation of the invention. It will also be appreciatedthat from the foregoing disclosure persons of ordinary skill in the artmay derive some of the bfinefits of myinvention in slip-lasted shoesembodying minor; variations. For ex-. ample, in a shoe of the two-seamconstruction reinforce..- ment in stress areas of the size-determiningseam may be accomplished in accordance with my invention, and willresult ina substantially stronger shoe which will retain its shapethrough a longer life during wear. Accordingly, it is not intended tolimit the invention to the particular arrangement illustrated anddescribed, but rather to rely upon the definitions of the appendedclaim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A slip-lasted shoe having sole and upper blanks and a cover stripwrapped about the edge of the sole blank with the ends in overlappingrelationandunited to the sole and upper blanks by a single continuousseam ex-v tending about the entire contour of the sole blank crossingthe edges at the ends of the cover strip, the overlap? ping end edgesbeing reinforced by three coincident portions of the same seam.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS315,916 Cram Apr. 14, 1885 2,341,675 Walsh Feb. 15, 1944 2,348,952 BraunMay 16, 1944 2,359,896 Chandler Oct. 10, 1944 2,386,809 Maling Oct. 16,1945 2,411,682 Gallo Nov. 26, 1946 2,526,925 Atlas Oct. 24, 1950

